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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Sheriff Robert “Samuel” Livingston

The Project

The Baxter County Sheriff, John Montgomery, recently spoke at the Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society concerning the many uses of the Sheriff's website. He asked the Society to take on the project of composing biographies for all the Baxter County Sherifffs, past and present. When all our biographigies are composed, they will be posted on the webpage entitled: History of the Sheriff's Office.

I took on the project of researching two sheriffs, Robert "Samuel" Livingston & Robert Sims "R. S." Hurst. As I post these two biographigies, please email me if there are any corrections, errors, or additions you may find wanting.

Robert "Samuel" Livingston

Robert Livingston was from one of the oldest families in Baxter County.

His father, Col. Robert Livingston (C.S.A.), emigrated from Georgia as a young man and settled on the mouth of Livingston Creek near present day Norfork, Arkansas. Col. Robert Livingston married Polly Finley and raised five children:

The family built several grist mills and a tanning yard to preserve fresh furs and pelts. The Livingston family experience several burglaries of their pelts and vandalisms of their vats; yet, they persevered in their business ventures. It was these experiences that inspired the two Livingston boys to become engaged with the value of the law.

Robert “Samuel” Livingston became the Sherriff of Baxter County for one term, from 1892-1894.
During Sheriff Livingston’s tenure, he oversaw the following incidents:

• January 29th, 1892: The feud between the Thompson family & W. E. Rogers resulting in the death of Mr. Rogers.

• August 30th, 1893: The stabbing death of a John Harris by a Ben Sears in Gassville, Arkansas. Sheriff Livingston arrested Ben Sears in Newport, Arkansas.

• December 18th, 1893: The tragic news of robbing & murder of Hunter Wilson. Later, it was discovered Anderson Carter, Bart Carter, and Jasper Newton Montgomery were the accused.